Butter-Fly (Kōji Wada song)

"Butter-Fly" is a song recorded by Japanese vocalist Kōji Wada as the opening theme song to Digimon Adventure. The song was released as Wada's debut single on April 23, 1999.

"Butter-Fly"
Cover of the original 1999 single
Single by Kōji Wada
from the album All of My Mind
A-side"Butter-Fly"
B-side
  • Seven
  • Seven ~10th Memorial Version~ (Strong version)
ReleasedApril 23, 1999 (1999-04-23)
August 1, 2004 (2004-08-01) (re-release)
April 22, 2009 (2009-04-22) (Strong version)
November 25, 2015 (2015-11-25) (tri. version)
GenreJ-pop, anison
Length
  • 4:14
  • 18:14 (Strong version)
Label
Songwriter(s)
  • Hidenori Chiwata
  • Cher Watanabe
Kōji Wada singles chronology
"Butter-Fly"
(1999)		 "Target (Akai Shōgeki)"
(2000)
"Hirari"
(2007)
"Butter-Fly (Strong Version)"
(2009)
"We Are Xros Heart!"
(2010)
"Evolution & DigiXros"
(2011)
"Butter-Fly (tri. Version)"
(2015)
"Seven (tri. Version)"
(2016)

Background and release

"Butter-Fly" was performed as the ending theme song to the 1999 film Digimon Adventure and later became the opening theme song to the television series of the same name.[1] It was the first time Wada had sang a rock song, as he originally performed "Butter-Fly" as a ballad.[2] Originally released on April 23, 1999,[1] the single was re-released on August 1, 2004 with new CD artwork to commemorate Digimon Adventure's 5th anniversary.[3][4] The success of the song gave Wada the title "Immortal Butterfly Anime Song Singer."[5]

Other versions

"Butter-Fly (Strong Version)" was released on April 22, 2009 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Digimon franchise as well as the 10th anniversary of his debut with the song.[6][7] It was his first single in three years after "Hirari" and charted on Oricon Weekly Singles for one week.[7]

"Butter-Fly (tri. Version)" was released on November 25, 2015 as the theme song for the anime film series Digimon Adventure tri.,[8] and the single was his last release before his death on April 3, 2016.[9] A second version of "Butter-Fly (tri. Version)" was released as a tribute on May 1, 2018 as the ending theme to Digimon Adventure tri.: Chapter 6: Future, the final installment to the Digimon Adventure tri. film series.[10] The song was performed by AiM, Ayumi Miyazaki, and the eighteen main cast members of tri., along with posthumous archive audio of Wada.[10][11]

Reception

"Butter-Fly" ranked #5 on NHK's list of Top 100 Best Anime Songs in 2017.[12]

Cover versions

The cast for the male characters in Digimon Adventure performed "Butter-Fly" and released it with the We Love Digimon Music CD box on December 25, 2002.[13] The release was to commemorate the franchise's 100th CD release.[13]

The song has also been covered by Masaaki Endoh in his album Enson.

Halko Momoi covered "Butter-Fly" on her 2008 cover album More & More Quality Red: Anime Song Cover.[14]

Nagareda Project released a cover version on their album, Nagareda PPP, on August 8, 2012.[15]

Idol group Sea*A released an English version of "Butter-Fly" on their eponymous debut album, Sea*A, on March 27, 2013.[16]

Idol group Trefle performed a cover version of "Butter-Fly" and released it as their debut single on November 18, 2015, which charted at #78 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart.[17] The song served as the opening theme song to the show Animemashite.[17] They performed the song at Anison History Japan!![18]

On September 2, 2019, Vocaloid Hatsune Miku released a cover, as part of a collaboration event with the Digimon franchise.[19]

Track listing

All songs arranged by Cher Watanabe.

1999 and 2004 version
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Butter-Fly"Hidenori Chiwata4:18
2."Seven"Kouhei Koyama4:17
3."Butter-Fly" (Original Karaoke) 4:18
4."Seven" (Original Karaoke) 4:17
Total length:17:12

Strong version
"Butter-Fly (Strong Version)" single
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Butter-Fly (Strong Version)"Hidenori Chiwata4:30
2."Seven (10th Memorial Version)"Kouhei Koyama4:37
3."Butter-Fly (Strong Version)" (Original Karaoke) 4:30
4."Seven (10th Memorial Version)" (Original Karaoke) 4:37
Total length:18:13

tri. version
"Butter-Fly (tri. Version)" single
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Butter-Fly (tri. Version)"Hidenori Chiwata3:45
2."Butter-Fly (tri. Version)" (Original Karaoke) 3:45
Total length:7:30

Charts
gollark: Talk to your ~~plant~~ reactor.
gollark: Stick extra nuclear material into a nuclear reactor to boost nuclear output.
gollark: Good idea.
gollark: They would cool reactors, but only if observed with a backwards time axis (heaters).
gollark: Yes.

References
  1. "Butter-Fly". Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved November 1, 2018.
  2. "[デジモンテイマーズ] ホームページ Interview with Koji Wada". Dimps Corporation (in Japanese). Archived from the original on August 6, 2009. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  3. "Butter-Fly". Feel Mee (in Japanese). Retrieved November 1, 2018.
  4. "Butter-Fly". Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved November 1, 2018.
  5. "和田光司 Solid Vox". Solid Vox (in Japanese). Archived from the original on April 14, 2016. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  6. Koji Wada (March 20, 2009). "生まれ変わり" (in Japanese). Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  7. "Butter-Fly ～Strong Version～". Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  8. "Butter-Fly～tri.Version～". Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  9. Rafael Antonio Pineda (April 8, 2016). "Digimon Theme Song Singer Kouji Wada Passes Away". Anime News Network. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  10. "Butter-Fly～tri.Version～(初回限定盤)". Feel Mee (in Japanese). Retrieved November 1, 2018.
  11. "『デジモンアドベンチャーtri. 第6章「ぼくらの未来」』ED曲はデジモンミュージックの代表作「Butter-Fly」に決定". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). February 25, 2018. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  12. "アニソンベスト100！結果発表｜ニッポンアニメ100｜NHK". NHK (in Japanese). Archived from the original on March 23, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  13. "デジモンミュージック100タイトル記念作品 We Love DiGiMONMUSiC（完全生産限定盤）". Feel Mee (in Japanese). Retrieved November 1, 2018.
  14. "more&more quality RED ～Anime song cover～". Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  15. "流田PPP". Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  16. "Sea☆A". Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  17. "Butter-Fly / Trefle". Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  18. "「ANISON HISTORY JAPAN!!」で水瀬いのり＆i☆Risがコラボユニット結成、水木一郎 VS 松本梨香のレジェンド対決も". Musicman Net (in Japanese). March 15, 2016. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  19. ""初音ミクxデジモン" による"Butter-Fly～初音ミク Version～"MV&フル尺音源が公開！人気絵師Rella、サメヤマ次郎、さいとうなおきによるキャラクターイラストも". Famitsu (in Japanese). September 2, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
  20. "Billboard Japan Hot 100 (December 30, 2019)". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  21. "Billboard Japan Hot Animation (December 30, 2019)". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved April 21, 2020.
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